I would have been upset if there was none and the main male squeeze is a cool, likable dude. Although I won't be complaining about romance for too long. The second half is still well-paced, but is diluted by rather predictable plot twists and formulaic romantic back and forth.

The first half is intense and suspenseful, colored by Saba's single desire to save her brother. On the other hand, I agree with other reviewers who think the first part of the novel is stronger than the second. The pacing of this novel is fast and it is never boring. Somehow it adds character to Saba's voice and urgency to the story itself. She can't read or write, so her narrating style consists of abrupt, grammatically-incorrect sentences. Saba lives in a world where almost all traces of civilization are gone. I am guessing it will be a hit or miss with the readers. What else is great about the book it the writing style. Women here, regardless of their age, are strong and self-reliant and, surprisingly, they don't waste their time on trying to prove they have balls to the men around them by wearing pants and rejecting everything feminine.

You will not see a single limp damsel in distress in this novel. In fact, Blood Red Road is a celebration of girl power. There is a bit of Katniss Everdeen in her - that familiar determination, stubbornness, strength, charisma and heightened survival instincts. Obstacles and adventures are ahead of her. Why and where he is taken, Saba doesn't know, but she is determined to do everything she can to find and rescue him. Saba's twin brother Lugh is kidnapped in front of her eyes. The novel is basically an adventure quest set in a distant post-apocalyptic future. It is a stand-out in the new crop of dystopian/post-apocalyptic YA fiction, most of which is crap. I hope it will get enough promo buzz over the next few months to reach tons of readers, because Blood Red Road very much deserves it. This book is not going to be out until June, so I feel very lucky for having had an opportunity to read it so early.

Blood red road book